In recent years, with the advent of new technologies, eLearning has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional classroom instruction and training. Benefits of eLearning may, for example, comprise lower costs and efficient learning as a result of reduced overhead and reoccurring costs, the ability for students to learn at their own pace (as opposed to the pace of the slowest member of their class), the option for students to skip elements of a program that they've already mastered, decreased student commuting time, etc.
However, in an effort to keep costs low, eLearning programs generally have large class sizes, which typically results in less student engagement, and gives the appearance of a lack of attention to individual students. Although some eLearning programs may offer small group learning, the composition of each group may not facilitate effective learning (e.g., if group members are geographically far from one another, if group members do not have backgrounds, skills, or interests that complement or supplement one another, etc.). Courses offered via eLearning programs are also typically managed by an institution, limiting individual instructors (e.g., instructors that are not employed by specific institutions) from creating and managing their own courses. These and other drawbacks exist.